Invasion of the Viking salmon

AS MANY as one in four wild Atlantic salmon from Scotland has been genetically “tainted” by Norwegian fish, a study suggests. Analysis of almost 1,500 wild salmon from the west coast found 369 possessed genetic markers unique to the Scandinavian fish.

The findings have provoked a fresh row between environmentalists and Scotland’s aquaculture industry.

Opponents argue fish farmers, who depend heavily on imported eggs from Norway to build up stocks, are primarily to blame — millions of escapees over the past decade are thought to have “polluted” the gene pool by cross-breeding with their wild cousins.

Last night, however, the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) said there was no evidence fish farming was responsible.

It is known, for example, that Norwegian fish have been used to boost salmon stocks in east coast rivers such as the Spey and the Shin. It is possible, said SSPO, that these fish have migrated and